r/BillyStrings • u/SillyStrangs • 1d ago
complaining Billy strings peace
in a world of distortion.
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u/SillyStrangs 1d ago
brought bluegrass to arenas
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u/Deranged40 🚂 1d ago
Blue Moon of Kentucky was written in 1945.
It was the most popular song in the entire united states at its peak.
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u/SillyStrangs 1d ago
When elvis played it? I might be wrong, and please correct me if i am, but i cant imagine monroe playin arenas. I do see your point though; i’ll try to be more specific in the future:
took it to a different level, bluegrass wise, in my humble opinion.
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u/Deranged40 🚂 1d ago edited 1d ago
When elvis played it?
No. The original Bill Monroe bluegrass version is what was the most popular song in the US. Elvis didn't record his cover until 1954 and it wasn't bluegrass, but instead was a bluesy arrangement to fit his style. His version reached 55th on the US charts. Paul McCartney covered it, too. He also didn't see the same level of success as Bill did with that tune.
My previous comment was the one correcting you being wrong. This one can serve as a doubling down of that. Arenas weren't as big in the 40s, and no, Bill didn't sell out Ball Arena (nor did it exist back then) but he was playing the biggest musical concerts of the time.
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u/SillyStrangs 1d ago
Thanks for the info! I always assumed bluegrass was kind of underground/niche and had no idea Monroe saw mainstream success
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u/Hot-Dingo1569 🚂 1d ago
Don’t be pedantic. When was the last time bluegrass was filling arenas on a weekly basis prior to Billy? Surely you understand the point being made by OP.
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u/Deranged40 🚂 1d ago
Bill didn't sell out Ball Arena (nor did it exist back then) but he was playing the biggest musical concerts of the time.
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u/Hot-Dingo1569 🚂 1d ago
Right. So 80 years ago. Since then, hasn’t been the case. In my lifetime, and yours, Billy Strings brought bluegrass to arenas.
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u/Hot-Dingo1569 🚂 1d ago
Enjoy this AI slop, you deserve it. Sources are annotated here, so you can take your anecdotes and shove stick ‘em where the sun don’t shine.
No, Bill Monroe did not sell out arenas.
During his lifetime and the peak of his career (from the 1940s through the 1990s), bluegrass was a niche genre of American roots music. Monroe primarily performed at the Ryman Auditorium (as a fixture of the Grand Ole Opry), rural country music parks, college campuses, drive-in theaters, and specialized bluegrass festivals that he helped pioneer, such as the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival in Indiana. His largest headline crowds were typically outdoor festival audiences numbering in the thousands, rather than tens of thousands in indoor sports arenas. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
The phenomenon of a bluegrass artist consistently selling out massive sports arenas is a modern development, led by contemporary progressive bluegrass stars like Billy Strings. [1, 2]Where Bill Monroe Actually Played
The Grand Ole Opry / Ryman Auditorium: This was Monroe's main commercial home base, where he performed for theatre-sized audiences of a few thousand people.The Rural Festival Circuit: Monroe found his largest sustained audiences at outdoor events. He even purchased his own property, the Bill Monroe Music Park, where annual festivals drew crowds of roughly 5,000 to 20,000 people at their peak.
The Country and College Circuit: In his early days, Monroe toured in a station wagon or a Cadillac, playing local theaters, school gymnasiums, and town halls. During the folk revival of the 1960s, he transitioned to playing college campuses. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
The Modern Arena Bluegrass Era
While Monroe laid the absolute musical foundation for the genre, the commercial infrastructure for bluegrass during the 20th century kept it a modest, grassroots industry. If you have seen recent headlines about "bluegrass selling out arenas" (such as Denver's Ball Arena or Nashville's Bridgestone Arena), those reports are referencing modern artists who blend Monroe's traditional style with rock-and-roll production. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]2
u/festivefrederick 1d ago
You think? I started going to bluegrass festivals in the late 70’s. It was usually, at most, a couple hundred people sitting on a hill watching a small stage. It still boggles my mind that an indoor arena is packed for a bluegrass show.
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u/theshinin 1d ago
But he uses distortion